The "March of the Siberian Riflemen" (russian: Марш сибирских стрелков, Marsh sibirskikh strelkov), or alternatively the "Siberian Riflemen's March", is a Russian war song from World War I and the Russian Civil War. It is believed that the song melody was composed by Yuri Cherniavsky in 1915 for recruitment, but it is possible that it circulated in Russia even before. Vladimir Gilyarovsky wrote text for the song, to help recruit

Baikal Cossacks Baikal Cossacks were Cossacks of the Transbaikal Cossack Host (russian: Забайка́льское каза́чье во́йско); a Cossack host formed in 1851 in the areas beyond Lake Baikal (hence, Transbaikal). Organisation The Transbaik ...

into the Imperial Army. His text has three versions. Peter Parfenov wrote the latest version of the song after the 1922

Battle of Volochayevka The Battle of Volochayevka was an important battle of the Far Eastern Front in the latter part of the Russian Civil War. It occurred on February 10 through 12, 1922, near Volochayevka station on the Amur Railway, on the outskirts of the city of K ...

. Many other songs use this same melody, like the

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

anarchist song "La Makhnovtchina" and the Red Russian song "Through Valleys and Over Hills" (russian: По долинам и по взгорьям, Po dolinam i po vzgoriam), among others. "Through Valleys and Over Hills" itself has many versions in other languages, including Serbo-Croatian, Greek,

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

, French, Hungarian, Hebrew and Kurdish among others. The song was adapted by the Yugoslav Partisans and used in World War II.

History

The lyrics were penned by Russian writer Vladimir Gilyarovsky and meant to inspire the Baikal Cossacks conscripted for World War I. Later, the song became an anthem to the Siberian Cossacks, who swore to the Russian Empire and kept fighting even when the areas free from the Bolsheviks had shrunk to Siberia and the Far East. The song was so popular that the Russian communists re-penned the lyrics to their favor. The song served as a march during the Russian Civil War for the White Army as the March of the Siberian Riflemen under the command of Admiral

Kolchak Kolchak, Kolçak or Kolčák is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Iliash Kolchak ("Kolchak-Pasha") ( fl. before 1710–1743), Moldavian mercenary and military commander * Alexander Kolchak (1873–1920), Russian naval commande ...

after he established the anti-communist Provisional Siberian Government. The song also served as a commemorative march for General (then Staff Colonel) Mikhail Drozdovsky and the Volunteer Army, after the

Iași–Don March The Iași–Don March, also known in Russia as Drozdovsky's March or the Romanian March, was a march of a Russian Volunteer detachment, led by Staff Colonel Mikhail Drozdovsky during the Russian Civil War. The detachment marched from Iași on the ...

. After the end of the Russian Civil War, the song was popular within the

RSFSR The Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, Russian SFSR or RSFSR ( rus, Российская Советская Федеративная Социалистическая Республика, Rossíyskaya Sovétskaya Federatívnaya Soci ...

and the USSR, with communist partisan fighters in Yugoslavia and German-occupied Russia using the song. The song is commonly played by the Alexandrov Ensemble. In the Middle East, the Russian song also got Hebrew texts written by the poets Avraham Shlonsky - Halokh halkha hevraya - a translation after Alexander Blok, which in several mobilizing versions served the Zionist Socialist

Hashomer Hatzair Hashomer Hatzair ( he, הַשׁוֹמֵר הַצָעִיר, , ''The Young Guard'') is a Labor Zionist, secular Jewish youth movement founded in 1913 in the Kingdom of Galicia and Lodomeria, Austria-Hungary, and it was also the name of the group ...

movement and the Palestinian Communist Youth (now BANKI) movement in the Mandatory Palestine and then in Israel - and

Didi Menosi Didi Menosi ( he, דידי מנוסי; 9 May 1928 – 20 December 2013) was an Israeli writer, journalist, poet, lyricist, dramatist, columnist and satirist. Menosi was born on Kibbutz Geva in the Jezreel Valley, at the time Mandatory Palestin ...

- Mul gesher hanahar - which is known in the interpretation by the

Israeli Israeli may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the State of Israel * Israelis, citizens or permanent residents of the State of Israel * Modern Hebrew, a language * ''Israeli'' (newspaper), published from 2006 to 2008 * Guni Israeli ...

Gevatron The Gevatron (Hebrew: הגבעטרון) is an Israeli Kibbutz folk singers group. The band started off in the early days of the state of Israel and are active to this very day. They are considered a unique phenomenon in the Israeli folk songs scene ...

ensemble. The music was used also as the first melody for the anthem of Palmakh Jewish shock units in Palestine.

Russian lyrics

''March of the Siberian Riflemen''

''Through Valleys and Over Hills''

French lyrics

''March of the Siberian Riflemen''

''La Makhnovtchina''

Serbo-Croatian lyrics (''Po šumama i gorama'')

} dušman kleti krvavi se vodi rat, Prije ćemo mi umrijeti Nego svoje zemlje dat'! Kaznićemo izdajice, Oslobodit' narod svoj, Kazaćemo cijelom svijetu Da se bije ljuti boj! Crne horde nas ne plaše, Krv herojska u nas vri, Mi ne damo zemlje naše Da je gaze fašisti! Zgazit ćemo izdajice, i prihvatit' ljuti boj, spasit' kuće, oranice, oslobodit' narod svoj. , По шумама и горама наше земље поносне иду чете партизана, Славу борбе проносе! Ми смо дјеца вјерна роду и ко један спремни сви да у борби за слободу умиремо свјесно ми! Нека чује душман клети крвави се води рат, Прије ћемо ми умријети Него своје земље дат'! Казнићемо издајице, Ослободит' народ свој, Казаћемо цијелом свијету Да се бије љути бој! Црне хорде нас не плаше, Крв херојска у нас ври, Ми не дамо земље наше Да је газе фашисти! Згазит ћемо издајице и прихватит' љути бој, спасит' куће, оранице, ослободит' народ свој. , Throughout forests and mountains of our proud country troops of Partisans are passing by, spreading the glory of struggle! We are children loyal to our family and all of us are as one ready, that in the fight for freedom we die consciously! Let the cursed foe know A bloody war is waged We will rather die Than give our land! We will punish the traitors And free all our people, We will tell the entire world That a bitter fight is fought! Black hordes don’t scare us Heroic blood boils in our veins We don’t allow our lands To be trampled by fascists! We will trample down the traitors and accept the furious battle, save houses, arable land, liberate our people.

Alternative version

Basil Davidson Basil Risbridger Davidson (9 November 1914 – 9 July 2010) was a British journalist and historian who wrote more than 30 books on African history and politics. According to two modern writers, "Davidson, a campaigning journalist whose fir ...

recites alternative lyrics as he heard them from Yugoslav Partisans in his 1946 book ''Partisan Picture'':

Greek lyrics

Hebrew lyrics

Notes

References

External links

French translation

March of the Siberian Riflemen on YouTube
Russian songs Soviet songs Yugoslav Partisan songs Anarchist songs Anti-fascist music Lidia Ruslanova songs {{song-stub